The Chichester Centurions extended their lead at the top of the Optasia Squash Super League table after a clinical 4-0 win over the Bexley Ballers at the Bexley Tennis and Squash Club.
Iker Pajares, Katie Malliff, Torrie Malik and Noah Meredith all claimed respective victories to help the Centurions claim the maximum five points on offer for a matchday win.
Notable among the victories was the performance of England’s Malliff, who caused a big shock by claiming her first-ever win over British National champion Georgina Kennedy.
World No.6 Kennedy had defeated Malliff a few months ago in the quarter-finals of the 2024 British Nationals in straight games, but Malliff upturned the head-to-head record with a superb 10-11, 11-6, 11-5 victory.
Despite losing out to Kennedy in a sudden-death game ball in the first game, World No.26 Malliff continued to apply pressure through some accurate lines and impressive retrievals to upturn Kennedy and send the Centurions on their way to a second victory from three fixtures in the Optasia Squash Super League.
Meanwhile, the crowd were treated to an entertaining men’s encounter between Centurions’ Gregoire Marche and the Ballers’ Iker Pajares, with the former managing to clinch an 11-5, 7-11, 11-7 win after 52 minutes of hard-fought play.
Impressive winners came with regularity from the rackets of both players, but it was World No.22 Marche who continued his fine start to the 2025 calendar year – having reached the quarter-finals of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions – to record the clean sweep win for his team.
In the first match of the evening, Noah Meredith got the Centurions off to the perfect start with a commanding 11-2, 11-6 victory over Dylan Roberts.
Meredith, 23, raced out of the blocks with an early barrage of winners and flew into a 9-1 lead and, shortly afterwards, a one-game lead against the Ballers’ Roberts.
The second game was more evenly contested, with Roberts growing into the game in front of the home crowd, but after a well-matched opening half of the game, it was Meredith who moved through to victory after 19 minutes of play.
Torrie Malik was the other Centurions winner from the evening’s play after overcoming Rana Ismail in a hard-hitting and fast-paced 19-minute encounter.
Despite Ismail running into early 4-1 and 7-4 leads in both games, World No.45 Malik held her composure to overturn both deficits. England’s Malik won 10 out of 12 points from 4-1 down in the first to move a game up, before clinching the second win of the evening for the Centurions following a tight 11-8 victory in game two.
The Centurions have now moved six points clear at the top of the Optasia Squash Super League – having played a fixture more than the three teams directly beneath them – while the Ballers remain in fifth place on three points.
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Results:
Noah Meredith [CC] bt Dylan Roberts [BB] 2-0: 11-2, 11-6 (19m)
Torrie Malik [CC] bt Rana Ismail [BB] 2-0: 11-6, 11-8 (19m)
Katie Malliff [CC] bt Georgina Kennedy [BB] 2-1: 10-11, 11-6, 11-5 (31m)
Gregoire Marche [CC] bt Iker Pajares (ESP) 2-1: 11-5, 7-11, 11-7 (52m)
